Amanda McBroom (born August 9, 1946) is an American s… Read Full Bio ↴From Wikipedia
Amanda McBroom (born August 9, 1946) is an American singer, song-writer and cabaret performer. One of the songs she has written is "The Rose," which Bette Midler sang in the movie of the same name. She is also known for writing some of the songs in The Land Before Time film series with Michele Brourman.
She has also starred in the New York, Los Angeles, California, San Francisco and European productions of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.
McBroom is also an actress, with guest-starring or recurring roles on such television series as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum, P.I., M*A*S*H, and Gunsmoke to her credit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_McBroom
The Rose
Amanda McBroom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That drowns the tender reed"
Some say, "Love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed"
Some say, "Love, it is a a hunger
An endless aching need"
I say, "Love, it is a flower
It's the heart that fears breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one, who won't be taken
Who can not seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Life's the seed, that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose
The Rose, written by Amanda McBroom, is a song that speaks about one of the most complex and enigmatic feelings of human beings: love. Throughout the song, each verse contradicts the previous, expressing the different opinions people might have about what love truly is. The first verse, “Some say, 'Love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed'. Some say, 'Love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed'", expresses that love can either build you up or destroy you completely. The second verse, “Some say, 'Love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need'. I say, 'Love, it is a flower, and you it's only seed'", shows that love is not only about the pain and the suffering, but also about the beauty and the growth that can come from it.
The chorus of the song makes it clear that it is the fear of love that makes people miss out on the great things that it can offer. By comparing love to a dance that can only be enjoyed when the heart is open and the dream that can only be fulfilled if acted upon with courage, the song emphasizes how important it is to take risks and let go of one's fears. Finally, the last verse presents the hopeful image of a rose which can grow from a single seed that has the right conditions to flourish, even in harsh environments. This final image invites the listener to believe that love, like the rose, can grow and bloom in unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say, "Love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed"
Love has the power to be overpowering and destructive, much like a river that can drown a fragile reed.
Some say, "Love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed"
Love can be a painful and self-destructive experience, much like a razor that cuts deep into the soul.
Some say, "Love, it is a a hunger
An endless aching need"
Love can create an insatiable hunger and an endless emotional longing.
I say, "Love, it is a flower
And you it's only seed"
Love is like a growing flower, and it needs a seed to start. This means that love is a positive force that needs to be nurtured in order to grow.
It's the heart that fears breaking
That never learns to dance
Fear can prevent someone from experiencing the joys of life, such as dancing, and from letting their guard down and truly loving someone.
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
Fear of the unknown can be paralyzing, preventing someone from taking a chance on love and experiencing all that life has to offer.
It's the one, who won't be taken
Who can not seem to give
People who are closed off and hesitant to let others in often find it difficult to give love in return.
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live
Fear of death can prevent someone from truly living life to the fullest and experiencing all of its joys and challenges.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
When life becomes overwhelming and it feels like everyone else is happy with love, it can seem like love is only for the strongest and luckiest individuals.
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Life's the seed, that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose
Even when things seem bleak and hopeless, life will continue to grow and flourish. Similarly, love can grow and thrive even in the coldest and most bitter of circumstances.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Iricom US Ltd, Broma 16, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Amanda McBroom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
B Lee
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
And you it's only seed
It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose
Alan S Binnie
This song means so much to so many of us. It touches so many hearts, including mine.
Marti MacEwan
As a songwriter it is so good to hear the interpretation of the songwriter herself.
Becky Shock
I sang this to my daughter, born in 1989....... she's 30 now, and I am 60...... brings tears to my eyes remembering holding her in my arms, close to my heart singing this to her......
ricky see
Becky Shock so sweet ...
Nick Phillips
Wholesome
John Wortham
Superb voice and love the way it starts off simple and slowly builds then back to the slow tempo for the ending. Well done and an Excellent song filled with Wisdom. Thanks to Amanda for the gift this song is.
Richard Richards
A beautiful, classic song-and as sung by the lady who composed it,who can say it's not the best interpretation?
B Lee
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
And you it's only seed
It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose
Delores Keith
Truly one of the great songs of our times. Ms McBroom seems to have put heart and soul into writing such a touching poem.
Ana Alvoeiro
Deeply Inspired.